A Must Read for Civil Services Geography Optional of UPSC

For the civil services mains examination, UPSC provides 41 optional subjects. Each aspirant should select one optional paper of their choice and appear in two papers (Paper-I and Paper-II). Among these options, for a long time, Geography has been one of the most popular optional subjects among civil services aspirants. Though the syllabus is vast, it is equally preferred by engineering, science, art, and humanities graduates.

The first step to prepare for the Geography Optional is thoroughly reading and understanding the NCERT Geography Books. Even before that understanding the contents of each of the 10 NCERT Geography Books. With that in mind, the key topics covered in each of these books are given below for a high-level understanding before you dive deep into the option.

GEOGRAPHY

CIVIL SERVICES (II) EXAME 2020

Time Allowed: Three Hours Maximum Marks: 250

QUESTION PAPER SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS

Please read each of the following instructions carefully before attempting questions.
There are EIGHT questions divided in TWO SECTIONS and printed both in HINDI and in ENGLISH. The candidate has to attempt FIVE questions in all.

Question Nos. 1 and 5 are compulsory and out of the remaining, THREE are to be attempted Choosing at least ONE question from each Section.

The number of marks carried by a question/part is indicated against it. Answers must be written in the medium authorized in the Admission Certificate which must be stated clearly on the cover of this Question-cum-Answer (QCA) Booklet in the space provided. No marks will be given for answers written in a medium other than the authorized one.

Word limit in questions, wherever specified, should be adhered to.

Illustrate your answers with suitable sketches/maps and diagrams, wherever considered necessary. These shall be drawn in the space provided for answering the question itself.
Attempts of questions shall. be counted in sequential order. Unless struck off, the attempt of a question shall be counted even if attempted partly. Any page or portion of the page left blank in the Question-cum-Answer Booklet must be clearly struck off.

SECTION A

1. (a) On the outline map of India provided to you, mark the location of all the following. Write in your QCA Booklet the significance of these locations whether
physical/commercial/economic/ecological/environmental/cultural, in not more than 30 words for each entry: [2 ×10 = 20]
(i) Ziro Valley
(ii) Khecheopalri Lake
(ii) Toranmal
(iv) Subarnarekha River
(v) Koderma
(vi) Sir Creek
(vii) Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
(viii) Peechi Dam
(ix) Digha Beach
(c) Pamban Island

(b) Discuss the geo-political impact of bilateral relationship between India and Bhutan. [10]

(c) Discuss the economic significance of volcanic soils of India. [10]

(d) Give a reasoned account of difference between sugar industry of North and Peninsular India. [10]

2. (a) Landslide is a major problem in Himalayan region. Discuss its causes and mitigation measures. [20]

(b) Appraise why drought is one of the most common climatic extremes in India. [15]

(c) Discuss the ecological and economic challenges of river linking in India. [15]

3. (a) Discuss the importance of solar energy in future economic development of India. [20]

(b) Critically examine the importance of Smart Cities Programme for solving urban problems in India. [15]

(c) Examine the significance of ecotourism in relation to socio-economic development and biodiversity conservation in India. [15]

4. (a) Discuss the reserves, distribution and production of all varieties of coal in India. [20]

(b) Describe the salient features of east-flowing rivers of India. [15]

(c) Critically examine the problems of inter-State border disputes in India. [15]

SECTION B

5. Answer the following questions in about 150 words each: 10 x 5 = 50

(a) Discuss the salient features of Project Tiger in India.

(b) Describe the problems of cloud burst in India giving suitable examples.

(c) Discuss the role of watershed management for soil and water conservation in hilly regions of India.

(d) Critically examine the relevance of Regenstein's law of population migration with reference to India.

(e) Discuss Ashok Mitra's classification method of Indian cities.

6. (a) Explain the impact of tropical cyclones and western disturbances on the climate of India. [20]

(b) Examine the critical issues of groundwater resources in India. [15]

(c) Describe the structure and relief features of Deccan Plateau. [15]

7. (a) Critically examine how Panchayati Raj system is catalyst in decentralized planning in India. [20]

(b) Identify the major industrial corridors of India and discuss the characteristics of Bengaluru Mumbai Corridor. [15]

(c) Assess the growth of multinational corporations in liberalized economic environment of India. [15]

8. (a) Examine how information and communication technology has boosted the development of certain regions of India. [20]

(b) Discuss the Command Area Development Programme and its impact on eliminating regional inequalities in India. [15]

(c) Critically assess the status of balance of trade in India and suggest some measures to combat the issues. [15]